The solar wind is an extension of the Sun's atmosphere into interplanetary
space. This supersonic flow of plasma continuously carries matter and energy outward. The IMF, embedded
within the solar wind, carries the Sun's magnetic force
field outward through the Solar System. Interactions between the solar wind
and the magnetospheres, atmospheres, and in some cases the surfaces of planets influence the evolution of planets and their atmospheres.

Though we take the constancy of our Sun for granted, Sol is a dynamic entity. Vast explosions, flares and CMEs, alter the Sun's radiation and solar wind over time scales from minutes to hours to days. The 11-year sunspot cycle beats out a longer term cadence as the level of solar activity rises and recedes. Studies of Sun-like stars of various ages have helped us learn about our Sun's wild youth and the changes in activity to expect throughout a star's lifetime.

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The solar core is made up of an extremely hot and dense gas (in the plasma state). Despite a density of 160,000 Kg/m3, the temperature of 15 million kelvins (27 million degrees Faranheit) prevents the...more

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The Sun has a very large and very complex magnetic field. The magnetic field at an average place on the Sun is around 1 Gauss, about twice as strong as the average field on the surface of Earth (around...more

An active region on the Sun is an area with an especially strong magnetic field. Sunspots frequently form in active regions. Active regions appear bright in X-ray and ultraviolet images. Solar activity,...more

Sunspots are dark, planet-sized regions that appear on the "surface" of the Sun. Sunspots are "dark" because they are cooler than their surroundings. A large sunspot might have a central temperature of...more

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